The Daniel Tajem faction of Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS) has extended "a formula for (political) accommodation" to its opponents to help strengthen the party and ensure that it be an effective partner in the ruling Barisan Nasional.

PBDS

information chief Paul Kadang said in a statement today that the party's present leaders are "realistic and moderate people."

That could be taken as an indication that the Tajem group is willing to extend the olive branch to the other faction led by Dr James Masing. However, Kadang's statement did not specify what the formula was all about and party leaders refused to be drawn into discussing details when questioned by reporters.

"Without going into details, the formula is virtually all inclusive, without abandoning the ultimate right of the leadership to assert measures for the party's own organisational integrity," was all there is in Kadang's statement on the subject.

Supreme council seats

Malaysiakini

, however, learnt that there are seven positions in the party's supreme council which are vacant and part of the formula is to accommodate leaders of the Masing faction in the council.

The Tajem faction is also believed to have briefed BN leaders at both the federal and state level on the formula.

Kadang's statement today was in response to this week's remarks by BN secretary-general Mohamed Rahmat indicating that the BN supreme council was unlikely to admit a new party called Parti Rakyat Sarawak into the BN if it was formed out of a splinter group from PBDS.

Mohamed was quoted as saying that admitting the new party was not the way of resolving internal conflicts in BN component parties.

PBDS said it agreed with Mohamed's assessment for three main reasons.

"First, PBDS already has the capacity and mechanism to solve its own internal problem. In this respect, therefore, PBDS agrees with Mohamed when he said the formation of a splinter party is not the way to solve internal problems."

"In the case of open dissent and agitation with the aim of weakening the party or even to get it registered is not the type of behaviour that should be encouraged or tolerated."

A group of supporters who are members of PBDS and aligned to Masing have applied to form a new splinter party . The majority of PBDS elected representatives are said to be supporting it.

Legislative seats

Kadang said the party also agreed with Mohamed's assertion that even if PRS included the majority of PBDS elected representatives, they (PRS) could not claim the seats allocated to PBDS in the elections.

"This is as it should be," he said, adding that the seats were allocated to PBDS as a party. "Legislative seats are not anyone's chattel."

He described Mohamed's statement on this issue as "a clear and unequivocal response to those who have harboured the notion that they could hop away from the party and take away their legislative seats with them."

"This is also the answer to queries from scores of party supporters on the subject in recent weeks."

On the national level, PBDS sought to represent (with others) the voices of native minorities.

"It is these people who are left behind on matters of economy, education and social development," he said. "Members of the Dayak community need quality representation at all levels of government so that it can move forward."

Kadang said the community needed committed leaders who could deliver the goods for the Dayak people and who could work with other political leaders in the country.